This week, we invited Will Myest, educational program coordinator with the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, to write a little bit about geology and the rock cycle, which he will talk about in more depth at Science Saturday on Nov. 8 at 11 a.m. Take it away, Will!
When you think of a geologist, who do you imagine? A common answer would be someone who studies earthquakes. Others might say someone who studies volcanoes, or even glaciers. Well, it turns out that all three answers would be correct.
Whenever you hear about a natural disaster—a mudslide, an earthquake, a volcanic eruption, or even a tsunami—a geologist of some kind is often the first person at the scene. Geologists also help to locate energy reserves buried deep in the earth’s crust and help construction workers decide where to build.
Whatever type of geologist you might want to be, you will always have one thing in common with other geologists: the rock cycle. The rock cycle is a complex web of interactions that ties together every piece of solid (and not-so-solid) rock. With a little bit of training, you can look at any piece of rock in your hand and get a good idea of where it might fit in the cycle.
The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum is at 705 S. McClelland St. in Santa Maria. We are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Will Myest, educational program coordinator for the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, and Amy Asman Blasco, program director for the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum, wrote this week’s Discovery Corner, a weekly column in the Sun highlighting events, science activities, and more. Send comments to discoverycorner@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 6-13, 2014.